


Of Queens and Kings

by PrincessAmericaChavez



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: F/M, Frozen 2 spoilers, Gen, Ice Bros Bonding, Post-Frozen 2 (2019), The issues with dating royalty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:29:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21665971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessAmericaChavez/pseuds/PrincessAmericaChavez
Summary: After family game-night, Kristoff catches Elsa off-guard with a particular conversation.
Relationships: Anna/Kristoff (Disney), Elsa & Kristoff (Disney), Elsa/Honeymaren (Disney)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 727





	Of Queens and Kings

Charades are over early, despite Anna’s protests. Elsa knows first-hand how exhausting reigning can be and, unlike her, Anna was never formally prepared for the role. Her sister has done wonderfully in her short time as queen, Elsa can see that, but she can also notice the signs of tiredness in her face. Otherwise, it would’ve been impossible to convince her to call it a night before the fifth round of charades.

Elsa steps out into the ice-cold night. It’s like she can finally breathe again. Not that there’s anything wrong with their family game-night, but she’s gotten used to the open wilderness in the past few weeks and the enclosed walls of the Arendelle castle suddenly seem suffocating in comparison. Now, though, on her own in the balcony, she can feel Gale’s presence surrounding her like a chill hug.

She misses the forest, the other spirits, Honeymaren and the others. If she left right now, she could be there before sunrise. The idea is tempting, more than she dares admit to herself, but it would break Anna’s heart if she left without saying goodbye. And still-

“Uh, Elsa?” A familiar voice catches her by surprise, breaking the spell of the night.

She turns around to find Kristoff standing by the balcony’s door. He looks… tense. Maybe. She’s never been the best at reading him if she’s being honest. Elsa settles for giving him an acknowledging nod. That’s usually enough between them, a friendly smile, a nod, a quiet acknowledgment that they both love Anna very much. Not tonight, apparently. Kristoff shuffles forward towards the balcony’s edge.

“Can we talk?” He adds.

“We _are_ talking.”

“Are _we?”_ He lets out, quietly. 

Elsa arches an eyebrow.

“Right. So,” Kristoff jumps a little, “well, here’s the thing, I don’t know how to be a king.”

She blinks, confused. 

“It’s just- Sorry. The other day, at Anna’s coronation and I was wearing this stupid fancy suit and it was horrible, right? But then she said that I should get used to it, because someday when we get married I will be a king and then it hit me that I don’t- I don’t know how to do that.”

“I-” Elsa tries to find an answer, but she’s still trying to catch up to speed with everything he just said in a single breath. “I don’t know, Kristoff.”

He sighs, deflating. “I’m just an orphan, Elsa. I was raised by trolls. I deal with ice and reindeers, not _kingdoms._ I never wanted to be a king, not even by marriage.”

“Wait,” she frowns, feeling a small storm starting to brew inside her stomach, “are you having second thoughts about the wedding?!”

She doesn’t mean it to _sound_ like a threat, but it does. 

“No, no, no!” Kristoff raises both hands in the air. “Never! I love Anna! I want to marry her! I want to marry her, so bad it almost hurts. I just- I was just thinking about marrying _her,_ not all of Arendelle. I’m- I don’t want to disappoint everyone.”

Her anger dissolves into sympathy, like ice melting under a warm spring sun. That fear she understands, painfully so.

“I’m sure you will do alright,” she assures him.

Kristoff shakes his head.

“I was hoping you could teach me about it,” he insists. “You seemed to have it all under control when you were in charge.”

Elsa laughs. She chuckles, heartily, shaking her head. The idea is so utterly ridiculous that her happiness materializes into snowflakes around her. 

“Kristoff,” she giggles, once she can catch her breath, “if that were true, I wouldn’t have given up the crown to Anna. I was too afraid of messing up. She’s warm and brave and selfless. That’s why she’ll make a great queen. If anything, you should be asking her.”

She watches as his face morphs. Kristoff’s expression goes from surprised to soft as he hears her speak of Anna, but by the end, his mouth has twisted back into disappointment. 

“She’s so busy, lately, I don’t want to bother her,” he sighs. 

Another pang of sympathy hits Elsa’s chest.

“You know,” she says slowly, “my father used to say there are three things that make a good king: courage, selflessness, and love.” As she speaks, magic gathers in her hands. _The water remembers._ “When you helped save Anna and me, three years ago, you showed courage,” she says as a small snow version of him, galloping on Sven with Anna in his arms appears on the balcony’s railing. “When you volunteered to protect Arendelle from the new threat, you showed selflessness,” a new miniature statue appears, this time of Kristoff standing tall and serene next to Anna, both in their nightgowns but ready take on a dangerous quest for their people. “When you put your love for Anna over your own doubts, you showed a love that isn’t fragile.”

“She told you that?” He blushes, as he watches the third statue of the two embracing one another appear.

“My sister talks a lot,” Elsa smiles. “And she believes in you, fully. I trust her judgment. You will make a great king.”

She can see Kristoff’s eyes water before he ducks her head. 

“Okay, yeah,” he whispers, “thank you, Elsa.” He clears his throat quickly. “So, hum, how are you doing back there in the forest.”

“Oh, I’m happy,” she says, feeling a warm smile spread across her features. “The winter there is lovely, though Honey says that it’s even more beautiful in the spring.”

“Honey?”

“Honeymaren.”

“Ah!” All past bashfulness in Kristoff’s expression is replaced by smugness, “so that’s why you were in such a hurry to go back.”

“What? No!”

Crossing his arms, her soon-to-be brother-in-law smirks and looks down at her hands. Elsa follows his gaze, only to find a telltale layer of frost that has formed over her palms. Her cheeks burn warm.

It’s Kristoff’s turn to laugh, with a barking sound proper of a mountain man like him. “Oh, you got it bad!”

Elsa narrows her eyes at him, in a glare that could freeze entire lakes… but not him, apparently. 

“You’re lucky my sister likes you,” she grumbles, brushing past him on her way back inside. 

“Eh, you like me too,” he retorts.

“Not _that_ much.” A playful wind slams the balcony doors closed in his face, just as a layer of ice seals them together.

“Wait! Elsa! That’s not fair!” His voice is muffled by the thick glass.

Satisfied, Elsa makes her way to her room. The ice will hold only for a while, it’s not like she plans to let him freeze out there all night, but her troll of a brother-in-law should remember not to mess with her.


End file.
